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Ka'bah

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Ka'bah
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Most sacred Muslim shrine, located near the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca. All Muslims face toward it in their daily prayers. The cube-shaped structure, made of gray stone and marble, has its corners roughly oriented to the points of the compass; the interior contains only pillars and silver and gold lamps. Pilgrims to Mecca walk around the Ka'bah seven times and on its eastern side touch the Black Stone of Mecca, which may date from the pre-Islamic religion of the Arabs. Tradition holds that the Ka'bah was built by Abraham and Ishmael. In 630 Muhammad purged the place of its pagan idols and rededicated it to Islam.

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Asian Mythology: Ka'bah
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Literally the “cube,” it is located in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca and is called the “House of Allah.” As the primary Islamic (see Islam) shrine, it is faced by Islamic worshippers worldwide during the five daily ritual prayers and is the pilgrimage (Hajj) goal of all Muslims at least once during a given lifetime. The myths surrounding the Ka'bah suggest that its corner stone—the “Black Stone”—fell from Heaven or was brought to Mecca by angels. The stone is traditionally kissed by Muslims on their pilgrimage as it was said to have been kissed by the Prophet Muhammad.

 
 

 

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Asian Mythology. A Dictionary of Asian Mythology. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by David Leeming. All rights reserved.  Read more